Page 97 of Scorched

Cole laughed. “But how often was she sober? A couple days a year, maybe?” He shook his head. “I should have done it long ago and saved you some teenage angst.”

Declan felt like he was getting nowhere. They were just talking in circles now, and it wasn’t what was important. “Enough about all that. What do you want? Why are we here?”

“Wondering why I kept your lady alive?”

He nodded.

“It’s simple. If you want to live—and keep your girl alive—you need to help us.”

“Yeah, no. You’re just going to let us go once everything’s all said and done? I don’t think so.”

Cole shrugged. “I can just kill her now.” He pulled back the hammer on his gun and pointed it at Maggie.

“No, wait!” Declan held his hands out. “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“That’s better.” Cole grinned. “You interrupted Michael before he could finish his job last week. I need you to get him on the ranch so he can finish it. I also need you to bring me Lee.”

Declan looked at Maggie. She stood in Michael’s grip, her expression hard, but her eyes pleaded with him as tears rolled down her face. Whether she wanted him to cooperate or not, he didn’t know. But if he had to hazard a guess, he doubted she wanted him to do what Cole wanted. He didn’t want to put her family in danger any more than she did, but he couldn’t stand here and watch her die.

“What’s it going to be, son? Are you going to help or do you watch the love of your life die right now?”

“What is he going to do once I get him on the ranch? Torch more buildings?”

“Something like that,” Cole hedged.

Declan had a feeling his sadistic half-brother had much more in mind for the Archers than just some fires. But he couldn’t sign Maggie’s death warrant.

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Declan.” Maggie’s voice came out a strangled whisper.

“I’m sorry, honey. I can’t—” Emotion choked off his words. “I’m sorry.”

Michael let Maggie go and moved toward Declan, shoving him toward the door. “Let’s go.”

He cast one last look over his shoulder at Maggie as Michael pushed him outside, praying she would still be alive when he returned. If he returned.

“We’ll take your truck, so they aren’t suspicious.” He opened the back of the ancient SUV parked next to the building and took out a blanket, tarp, and a radio, tossing them into the back of Declan’s pickup. “Back up to the shed.”

Declan did as he asked, watching as Michael threw two duffels into the back, then hopped into the bed. He rapped on the rear window with his knuckles, and Declan slid it open.

“I’m going to ride under the tarp. We end up anywhere but on the Broken Bow, or I see any of your buddies behind us, I’ll radio dad and tell him to shoot Maggie. And, just in case you’re thinking about pulling over and trying to overpower me, if Dad doesn’t hear from me within a preset timeframe, Maggie dies.” He gave Declan a hard look. “Give me your phone.”

God, he didn’t want to, but he fished it from his pocket, anyway, and handed it over. Michael took it, then hunkered down under the blanket and tarp.

Muttering curses under his breath, Declan shut the window, gritting his teeth, and shifted the truck into drive, pulling away from the cabin. On the way down the mountain, he hit every rock and dip he could see in the rain. It would not bother him at all if the kid bounced right out of the truck bed. How the dirtbag hiding back there could be related to their sweet sisters, Declan didn’t know.

He made the turn onto the dirt road and did his best not to slide off as he steered them down to the highway. Once his tires hit the pavement, he punched the accelerator. His fire radio caught his eye. He thought about using it, but didn’t know if Cole was monitoring the traffic. Declan remembered seeing a police scanner on the table.

He banged a hand on the steering wheel. “Fuck!” He needed a plan. And fast. The pole light at the end of the ranch drive came into view, and he slowed. Turning onto the drive, he rocketed down the lane, past the restaurant, only stopping to get through the new gate to the family compound. He entered his code into the box. The heavy iron gates swung open, and he drove in, pulling off once they were on the other side, out of the cameras’ view.

Declan knocked on the window and slid it open. “We’re here. Where am I going?”

Michael’s head popped out of the tarp. “The houses. Pull into Maggie’s garage.” He ducked back under the tarp.

He heard the squawk of the radio as Michael called Cole. He put the truck in gear and drove down the lane. In less than a minute, he pulled into the garage. He cut the engine and closed the overhead door. When he climbed out, Michael was already out from under the tarp. The younger man hopped over the side and lifted the two duffels out.

“You going to tell me your plan, or am I just supposed to follow you around like some whipped puppy?”

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